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The www.HorsellResidents.com site was launched in mid-March 2004 to support a key 21st
century objective of Horsell Residents' Association - the
better communication of important news, views and information about matters that affect Horsell
residents.
In a world of seemingly ever-faster changes, residents need to know that they can be
reliably and swiftly informed of the things that can alter their environment or affect their
way of life. Equally from outside the region, non-residents with business, historical or family
interests in the area also deserve every opportunity to find out more about local life and the
changes, setbacks and improvements that occur in the Horsell area from time to time. Many others
may also wish to know more about the local people directly, perhaps thinking of old friends they
may have left behind or wondering about the new neighbourhood they may be about to join. As
this website expands, it should achieve all these things and more.
The HRA has a small voluntary nucleus that acts on behalf of its members, and as part of
its work the HRA also does its best to promote the area in which they live. In effect this means
that the HRA, in speaking of and for Horsell, sometimes has to assume and try to fairly
represent the views of all residents, regardless of actual
membership - something difficult to
manage without a strong means of mass-communication. Therefore we hope to develop an interactive
forum facility online whereby all residents can make us more aware of their individual views,
regardless of membership.
Before the Internet age came into being, communication with non-members was frequently
limited by costs and manpower - mass-printing is expensive and the scale of volunteers needed to
contact every resident periodically is surprisingly large. But a good website can improve
communications and bring other benefits too. With member updates available online, voluntary
HRA road stewards should have less deliveries to make, and if an inexpensive means of accepting
subscriptions online becomes available as we hope someday, then road stewards will be truly
freed of an onorous task. Not everybody can access the Internet, but nearby West Byfleet has
just about the highest percentage of home Internet users in the country, and Horsell is surely
not so far behind!
Online news is also cheaper and faster to produce and maintain than print news. Unlike
magazine and leaflet printing, which has a direct
cost-per-page and must usually be outsourced (Horsell having no voluntary print-factory!), a
website news-page costs little to develop, is easier to update voluntarily and does not rise in
cost according to how many people it has to reach. Therefore we shall endeavour to maintain and
improve a website news facility so that we may begin to reverse
a recent trend of increasingly high HRA printing costs. Ultimately, limited HRA funds should
always be channelled towards the areas where they can be the most cost-effective.
Historically the HRA has tended to attract older rather than younger residents. The
average age of Horsell's
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residents is 40½, and our
constitution has prevented us offering membership
to the under-18's. Yet the HRA should never ignore the 22% of residents (2001 census) who are
not yet adult. We organise certain family social and benevolent activities such as the
Annual Village Show, but a website can give us the opportunity
to develop a year-round online "kids area" where the children of the village ought and should be
able to understand and enjoy more of the things HRA can provide for the community - a youth arts
gallery and competitions, for example. In the long term this may also help us to attract more
members from among the 18-40 age group. Older members support the HRA with their valuable time
and experience, but younger members can have the energy and vision to tackle the possibilities
of tomorrow as well as the projects of today.
A fresh young website should never lead to older residents being ignored however - quite
the reverse in fact. In future months we hope to highlight some of the figures of Horsell's
past who have contributed to making Horsell what it is today, or have quietly worked to preserve
and maintain the quality of life to be found here. Perhaps people such as our Victorian
benefactor Canon Pares, or 19th century local brewer J.H. Stedman, or founding Sports Ground
chairman W.A.T. Shorto. Regarding the HRA itself, earlier chairmen and present road stewards
equally deserve more recognition for their work. A dedicated website can achieve all
these things.
Currently therefore Horsell Residents' Association presents this website for the greater
benefit of Horsell and its residents. With time and (we hope) increasing interest, other
sections unrelated to HRA may be added to benefit the community further. Residents and
ex-residents alike from around the world are invited to contribute articles. There is much to
look forward to. Eventually there may even come a day when information by or about HRA is just
a small part of this site, or just part of a linked network of Horsell websites. But
previous village-online facilities have demonstrated the requirement for a website that can be
properly controlled and developed to serve the present community better, yet can also respond
fully to the community's future needs as changing circumstances arise. So HRA has now taken up
the challenge of providing a site fully representative of its aims and its members, but also
able to expand and meet the communication needs of others.
The responsibility for this website rests with us. In accordance with the HRA's
constitution we shall always try to communicate
whatever news, views and information we can provide about matters affecting Horsell residents
without political bias, discrimination or undue business influence. Yet we shall also endeavour
to listen to, learn from and respond to all site visitors with an interest in Horsell. In
managing ever-better communications for our members, we shall do our best for others too.
Peter Hobbs
Webmaster - HRA Committee
10th April 2004
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